Open-carry law would create anxiety, not safety: Editorial

Oct 15, 2015 | 12:00 AM

Who knew God was on board with letting Floridians carry guns openly? Last week state Rep. Matt Gaetz, the Panhandle Republican now sponsoring an open-carry bill in the Florida House, preposterously declared that it "vindicates and restores rights that have been granted not by government but by God."

This is divine drivel. But even when stripped of outlandish arguments, there's no convincing case for an open-carry law in Florida.

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Supporters have been peddling this bill as a way to promote public safety. Gaetz has been citing U.S. Justice Department statistics that show lower violent-crime rates in states with open carry in 2012. But several prominent academic studies on the impact of open-carry laws have come to contradictory conclusions.

Speaking to reporters and editors Wednesday, Gov. Rick Scott declared with justifiable pride that Florida's crime rate has fallen to a 44-year low under his leadership. Those are hardly conditions that compel the radical policy shift of letting all concealed-weapons permit holders in Florida — there are now more than 1.4 million of them — brandish their pieces in public.

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It's true that only five states outlaw openly carrying guns. But Florida is a special case, because our economy relies so heavily on tourism. Many tourists drawn by Florida's family-friendly reputation — especially those from other countries where guns aren't so common — might think twice about visiting if they and their children could expect to rub elbows with people wearing pistols on their hips.

No wonder national businesses have told their customers in open-carry states not to show up with their guns. As Target CEO John Mulligan wrote to customers, "Bringing firearms to Target creates an environment that is at odds with the family-friendly shopping and work experience we strive to create."

Even many Florida natives would be alarmed by the unaccustomed sight of people displaying guns in public.

Rep. Dave Kerner, a Lake Worth Democrat and ex-police officer, noted that cops are trained how to carry and secure a gun, and use officially approved holsters. "This proposal allows you to carry a gun in your waistband," he said. "You can even carry a gun in your hand and walk down the street with it."

Police would face the new challenge of quickly determining whether someone displaying a weapon in public has a permit, or is up to no good.

Meanwhile, a parallel effort continues to let permit holders carry guns on college campuses, a truly bad idea unanimously opposed by the presidents of Florida's 12 public universities and their campus police chiefs. So if both bills pass, permit holders could not only pack heat on campus, but do so openly.

An open-carry law in Florida is not just unnecessary; it would provoke public anxiety and batter the state's brand. State lawmakers should disarm this dangerous effort.